Purisima wants Ombudsman's assurance on graft cases

The Finance Department is planning to meet with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez before filing graft complaints against several government officials whose alleged crimes are have pictured the Philippines as an hostile place in which to do business. Businessmen, analysts, and policy makers asked Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima over the weekend why the department's Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) was not visible like those programs against smugglers and tax evaders. Purisima told them the role of the Ombudsman was an essential element in the fight against graft. He, however, said the cooperation of the government is not 100 percent sure. Pointing out that RIPS will continue be enforced, Purisima said he and other members of the government recognized the vital role of the Ombudsman against corruption. Due to widespread corruption, JP Morgan executives were reluctant to invest $1 trillion in foreign funds in the Philippines, Purisima said. "They don't know what to do with their money so a lot of them are starting to look at Asia [to] deploy that fund. There is really a lot of money that can move our [growth] agenda forward," Purisima said. "There is no discontinuance of the RIPS program because we are ready to file cases at any time," Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim Henares said, adding that the program Run After Tax Evaders and Run After the Smugglers have been running well since these were re-established at the start of the Aquino administration. "It's not like we do not have confidence in the Ombudsman. All we want is a fighting chance," Henares clarified. She said the government "has not determined yet that we have a fighting chance. That is why Secretary Purisima has to make the courtesy call to the Ombudsman." "It's more like we want to build our confidence, that we have a fighting chance," Henares continued. —JE, GMANews.TV